chapter 26 ssr class
The Dive into the Deep
Fighter's physical existence had reached its breaking point. In the absolute pressure of the Assimilation River, his body was no longer flesh and bone; it was a shimmering, two-dimensional speck of violet light. Driven by an impulse that felt more like a memory than a choice, he used his non-existent arms to claw deeper into the crushing weight of the quagmire.
Inside his mind, the monotonous voice of his companion had sharpened into a jagged blade of alarm.
Rechel:[If you do not stop this immediately, I will be forced to take extreme measures. This is not a request, you reckless fool. Ok.]
Fighter ignored her. Even though his eyes had already been surrendered to the sludge, a new, metaphysical sight had taken over. He reached the bottom, his phantom fingers brushing against something impossible: a smooth, plastic-like boundary.
It felt like the edge of a world. Something mysterious and ancient was pulling at his soul, an attraction so primal it felt like a homecoming. He belonged under that plastic veil. He felt as if his "true" self was waiting just on the other side.
As Fighter pressed his non-existent head against the boundary, Rechel finally snapped.
Rechel:[That is enough. Ok.]
The Hijack
A cold, artificial surge of power flooded Fighter's consciousness. Rechel forcibly seized control of his motor functions, pulling his "mind" back from the precipice. The fog of the [Blessing of The Worms]—which had been driving him toward a mindless, parasitic curiosity—was instantly cleared by her intervention.
The realization hit Fighter like a bucket of ice water. If he had pressed through that boundary, he wouldn't have found a new world; he would have been erased. He didn't want to go there; he had only wanted to know what was there.
'I was in a death trap,' Fighter thought, his mind now sharp and clinical under Rechel's lock. 'Something was intentionally baiting me to cross over.'
Rechel:[Do you truly think it was a simple attraction? The Assimilation River is a predator. It tried to trap you by showing you your "rightful place." Ok.]
Fighter: "Why me? I'm just a Noberry. The River is meant for the dead, or those who cheat death. Is it because I'm a transmigrator?"
Rechel:[I do not know what you are, but you are supposed to be dead. That much is clear. You were attracted to the path toward the grave. However... there is a second option. The Ritual. Ok.]
Fighter's thoughts raced. "The second option. The Bearing Process. My [Ethos Container] is cracked, isn't it?"
The Three-Month Fuse
The UCA Ritual was the Academy's greatest secret—it wasn't just an exam; it was a clinical treatment. Every Noberry who "Bore" a story suffered a shattered Ethos Container. By stepping into the quagmire, those cracks were revealed to the instructors, allowing them to begin the secret mending process.
Fighter: "Usually, the cracks are unnoticeable to the students. But I can feel mine. It's bad news, Rechel. How long?"
Rechel:[Based on the leakage rate... you have exactly three months before the cracks widen beyond repair. You have three months until you become a Horror. Ok.]
Fighter: "Whatever. Three months is plenty of time for my plan. But I can't stay down here in the A-Class, it would be troublesome to complete my future plan."
The Resurfacing
Fighter's silhouette—now a flickering composite of purple light and rusted metal fragments—kicked off the conceptual bed of the river. He didn't swim back to the fifth or sixth step. He bypassed the hierarchy entirely.
Above the surface, Saint Veera stood frozen. She had been about to intervene to save Kaizer, who was currently at the tenth step, his body entirely submerged, trying to bite the air itself to maintain his existence.
Suddenly, the river near the sixth step didn't just ripple—it erupted.
A hand made of violet light and jagged iron scrap burst from the mire. Fighter hauled himself out, his body re-forming in real-time. The "Scrap" he had absorbed from the depths solidified into new flesh and bone, knitting together with a metallic sheen.
He didn't stop at step six. He landed on Step Eight with a heavy, metallic thud that vibrated through the stone floor of the chamber.
Fighter:Cough... hack... "Needs... more salt..."
He looked up at Veera, his blue eyes now flecked with violet sparks. He had skipped the "A-Class" and "SA-Class" labels. He was standing on the threshold of the monsters. Veera's jaw didn't drop—she was too professional for that—but her Aura flickered like a dying candle.
Veera: "You... you dived? Nobody dives into the River. There is nothing down there but death."
Fighter wiped the violet sludge from his face and looked at his hands, which were now vibrating with a strange. With a smile, he said:
Fighter: "Death? No. It's a gold mine. You people just have a very poor sense of what's valuable."
Current Evaluation
Fighter: Step 8 (Super Special Asset - SSA Candidate)
Kaizer: Step 10 (SSA - The Anomaly)
Fighter looked at his shaking hands and then at the stunned Saint Veera. The gravity of what he had just done—and the attention it would bring—finally settled on him.
Fighter: "Shit. I think I messed up."
Rechel:[Congratulations. You did mess up big time, you dishonest man. Welcome to the spotlight. Ok.]